Iterative Design Update V-0.6

Development is happening, versions are being tested and iterated upon! Between version 0.3 and 0.6 a lot has changed, and here is a rundown of the main improvements and alterations, along with their design intention.

The into text has been edited to immediately introduce a couple of Solarpunk concepts that will further be developed in the (upcoming) Circuit play mode. The main idea is that this harsh sport has a meaning and function that goes beyond the mere display of violence, that its existence is part of a greater whole, that it serves many positive purposes both practical and socio-cultural.

Similarly, a bunch of game-relevant nomenclature is undergoing testing in order to find names that sound cool, express the game functionality, but also steer clear from the all-too-common combat/violence-oriented names found in most other games of this kind. Thus, the athletes in the arena are now a crew of Seekers striving to sunder the rival Totem. Their three specialized roles are the confrontational Brunt ✊, the agile Shift 🦶 and the dexterous Flick 🖐️.

Some hobby-related info is now clearly provided: miniatures and their scale, measurements, the game arena, and all the bits and bobs that are required to smoothly play the game such as dice, cards, tokens, etc.

But the most relevant changes can be found in the structure of a bout and in its underlying action economy. Some core design goals were there from the start, while others have come into focus through testing and development:

• Sport > Combat
• Quick to set-up and tear-down
• Clear and simple rules
  
• Short play duration (~1h or less)
  
• Immediately tense / zero downtime
• Fast paced
  
• Highly dynamic and interactive
• Tactical choices
  
• Gritty / Heroic feeling
• Exciting / Bombastic feeling
  

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• Sport > Combat

Most "sports" miniature games, and especially the fantasy/sci-fi ones, include full-body contact. This often translates into outright "combat" with armor, weapons, detailed damages and whole subsystems to handle it all. This in turn often translates into the game devolving into a brawl: it takes up a lot of space in the rules, in the players' headspace, and in the playtime. It might not be the best way to play the game, but it's an effective low-hanging fruit. Like button-mashing in videogames that are not mindful of its impact on the play experience, it can easily take over other "more sophisticated" aspects of gameplay.

In this regard, Torque Arena allows for full-body contact but it's mindful of keeping it reined in, a tool among others with the same level of accessibility, complexity and effectiveness. Or at least, that's the intention 😉

• Quick to set-up and tear-down

Five-vs-Five miniatures, no specific sculpture requirements save for consistently similar scale and base-size. A bunch of simple six-sided dice, in two distinct colors. A bunch of tokens. A few post-its (or some proper Seeker Cards, if available) to trach some stats. The arena has simple measurements and shape, and additional terrain is both optional and easily improvised.

• Clear and simple rules

This is still a tabletop miniatures game, so a certain degree of rules complexity is inevitable. That said, Seekers have no inherent stat-blocks, just their play role (Brunt, Shift, Flick) and a track for "Strain" (ranging from 0 to 3). The whole game runs on just 5 Actions and 3 Reactions, all fully self-contained and summarised in a 1-page list at the end of the rules text. These re/actions in turn produce effects that are either self-evident in the re/action text, or refer to 4 possible "game states" to handle seekers falling on the ground, the torque scattering, etc.

• Short play duration (~1h or less)
• Immediately tense / zero downtime
  

A bout is decided in a single go, where the first crew to sunder the rival totem wins. No score tracking, no slow buildup, no play reset.

Previous versions of the rules featured a classic action economy where each crew had a finite number of actions available. Then a secondary resource was introduced to allow for more actions at a cost. Then the cost got tweaked and twisted and changed. Now the whole thing has been turned upside down: there are no more "freebies" to start with; instead, all actions cost Strain, but Seekers have the option to "heal" it as an action (with a test), thus spending precious time/precedence and risking granting the rival an opening they might exploit.

• Fast paced
• Highly dynamic and interactive

The bout works in "turns". Each turn begins and ends with a big "rush" movement, with both players interjecting with any number of actions. The only limits being how much Strain can the Seekers bear, and the eventual end of the Rush. A simple system of "priority" ensures everything flows orderly. Additionally, most critical successes grant Strain-free immediate follow-up actions, or some Momentum points, which do pretty much the same but can be stored and stolen in a tug-of-war fashion.

• Tactical choices

While the outcome of most actions depends on quite volatile dice rolls, they are often outweighed in importance by the choices players make about the position of Seekers in the arena, which actions to attempt (and with which seeker, at which time, in which order), and the ability to understand when to change gears and improvise something new.

• Exciting / Bombastic feeling

While previous versions were more reliable and balanced (rolling a 6 scored 2 hits) active testing clearly showed that fully explosive dice (rolling a 6 scores 1 hit and a reroll, which can in turn explode, with no limit) generated overall more exciting results. This is also supported by most critical successes awarding Strain-free immediate follow-up actions, allowing players to hope for (if not really plan) spectacular action-chains.

• Gritty / Heroic feeling

At the same time the fact that each action taken "strains" your Seekers, tiring them and bringing them closer to a potential K.O., feeds into a narrative of strife and sacrifice, of pushing against odds and adversity. One of the available Reactions, the only one you can choose to not perform, simulates a short but intense brawl where a Seeker accepts Strain to give a crewmate a chance to take action before a rival can disengage and move away from them.

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And this is the state of the game as of version 0.6

Stay tuned for further developments! 😎